Skinner is showing zero signs of slowing down
Kevyn Adams must add talent to the Sabres forward group, and few fans would argue against that. You would even be correct to state that Adams would make the team even better off if he added two forwards, preferably someone with top-six capabilities and a depth scorer.
While Skinner’s play dipped last season, injuries to himself and his top linemates didn’t make an already challenging campaign any easier. While he will be entering his 15th full season and his age-32 campaign, it makes no sense to trade anyone who, though older, is a productive player who can still compete at a high level.
Yeah, you can argue that trading Skinner away and signing (or potentially acquiring) a forward who brings a more balanced game makes sense, and it does. But for a team that needs to hang onto all the scorers it can, losing Skinner in a trade would hurt. It would be one thing if he slipped up some last season, but he was still a productive player when healthy.
Regardless of who the Sabres bring in to help the forward group, Skinner’s play would benefit from them. Until he starts showing signs that he consistently can’t perform the same way he once did, keep him in Buffalo and let him keep playing solid hockey.